


Soulmeet-up

by AlNiCa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Milkshakes, Shiro is sick but gets better I promise, Soulmates, Starcrossed: Sheith Soulmate Zine 2020, That sweet sweet Shiro Matt and Allura friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24755857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlNiCa/pseuds/AlNiCa
Summary: In a world where finding your soulmate has become much more than about love Shiro, a man determined to let fate decide when they meet, is faced with the hard reality that he needs to start putting effort into finding his mate before it’s too late.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 79
Collections: Star-Crossed: Sheith Soulmate Zine 2020





	Soulmeet-up

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for the Starcrossed: Sheith Soulmate Zine 2020
> 
> I'm honored to have been a part of such a lovely project!

Takashi Shirogane is 26, in school to become a physics professor, and… terminally ill. The last fun fact is thankfully not something he has to think about all the time, though his 10 vials of blood drawn and several hour long doctor visits every month make sure to remind him that he is in fact closer to death’s door every single day. 

When he was seven, he was taken to a fancy children's hospital three states over and told that his illness was incurable and there was only so much they could do for him. 

Until he could find his soulmate, that is. 

Ignoring the constant pressure from everyone around him to start searching, he went for treatments every week since his diagnosis, made sure to take care of his body by eating well (as best he could), and worked out every morning. He had a new normal that lasted almost twenty years and, while he’d been offered suggestions on what he could do to help himself, he was never interested in what was offered. 

He plopped on his bed next to the scattered pamphlets and flyers his doctor insisted he take with him on his way out from his appointment this morning. All his life he was determined to find his soulmate the “right way,” but something she said wouldn’t get out of his head.

“Shiro, you shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to find them, don’t you think they’d be upset if something happened to you and they could’ve done something about it?”

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, Shiro lives in a world where finding your soulmate has the ability to heal you of all ailments. Because of this, technology has no longer advanced towards medical discoveries but in the direction of databases, private detective services, and millions of mark matching apps to help people find their mate. In Shiro’s eyes, no one sought out their other half anymore for love and happiness, but for immunity. 

Ever since he was a teenager those around him had been suggesting he try something, anything, to find his soulmate so he could get better. He never got mad at them for pushing but he hated the idea of using his soulmate for his own benefit. It was cheesy, but he wanted to find them and fall in love because that’s what they both wanted, not because they were getting close to some unquantifiable deadline. If fate wanted him to live and fall in love, it would happen. He wasn’t looking to force it. 

Even with his wishes well known, his best friend Matt invited him to a monthly get together called the “Soulmeet-up” about forty minutes north. It was intended as a young adult networking group but had devolved into a speed dating party. Which hadn’t really piqued Shiro’s interest. 

As much as anyone who didn’t know him well assumed, he preferred his alone time. It took a lot to get him out of the house and he hated drinking, which were things Matt and Allura had described as being a part of this meetup. 

He opened his phone to his chat with Matt where his annual invite was waiting. This month’s meetup was tonight and Matt and their friend Allura were planning on leaving around three. That meant Shiro had two hours to get himself presentable enough if he decided to join them. 

He rolled over and sighed, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating his fate. Going once couldn’t hurt, right? 

Three and a half hours later, he was sitting in the front seat of Allura’s pink beetle with Matt in the back furiously queuing up songs for their ride while Allura ordered a coffee from the drive-through. Shiro’s palms were as wet as the Pacific and he was getting increasingly concerned for the light grey t-shirt he decided was a good idea to wear. 

Matt, after finally making his very life-changing musical decisions, looked up and noticed Shiro’s panic. “Dude, what’s up? First you don’t want to go, and now you act like this will make or break the rest of your existence?”

He could see Allura smirking as he said, “You said there’s going to be a lot of people there and there’s going to be a lot of pressure around a topic I’m not entirely comfortable with. I don’t know what I’m going to do if someone tries to ask me about my mark.” Shiro tried to stealthily wipe his hands on his dark jeans as he started to talk faster and faster. 

“Oof okay, you’re spiraling. Take a deep breath, you’ll be fine.” Matt reached up to pat his shoulder. “It’s very chill, there’s free pizza, and there’s usually some dancing. We can even leave early if you’re not feeling comfortable.”

“Exactly, we’re here for support. We’re both very proud of you for finally agreeing to come. Why don’t you just focus on making a new friend?” Allura added. 

He looked out at the freeway while nodding along to Allura’s suggestion. “Yeah, a new friend could be nice.”

*

Picture this: an old VFW in the middle of a white suburban town whose function space had been decked-out in the corniest decorations the dollar store had to offer. Tables lined one half of the room with several groups in a heated discussion while the other half had a decent sized dance floor and a cotton candy machine thrown in the corner. Shiro was told the venue changed every so often and this one was chosen because it was donated. He couldn’t argue with his favorite price of  _ free. _

They’d been there for twenty minutes. Allura had been making some rounds to say hi to people she knew. Matt's been busy trying to woo one girl whose skin was so smooth and movements so graceful that he was sure there was no way she was real. He tried not to laugh at the idea of this elegant human being his clumsy best friend's soulmate. 

After a short bathroom trip, he decided that people-watching might be a good start to figure out his way into the group, so he picked a seat in one of the corners where he could watch the room and scout out targets for conversation. 

Mid-sip of his too sweet fruit punch, he noticed movement on his left and glanced over to see someone had sat down one seat away from him. He was wearing ripped black skinny jeans, a zip-up hoodie, had half his hair up on a small bun while the rest was hanging down around his neck in soft waves, and sat close enough that Shiro could tell he smelled of birchwood and cinnamon. When he looked over Shiro arched his eyebrow and nodded in greeting. 

The man smirked as he continued his scan of the crowd. “Got dragged here by a friend, too?”

“Actually, my friends had been inviting me for close to a year and I finally said yes. Not what I expected.”

He got a questioning look in return. “What did you expect?”

“More… pressure. I guess it’s a good surprise. A lot more casual than I thought it’d be.”

The man arched a brow and turned back to the crowd. “Interesting.”

Shiro took a sip of his drink, now getting warm from sitting for so long, “What brought you here?”

The man pointed to a small blonde sitting with a group a couple of tables over. “My sister wanted to come but her friend wasn’t able to finish her homework in time. I didn’t want her to come alone, so, here I am.”

Shiro smiled. He couldn’t get a good read off of the man next to him but felt more comfortable knowing he was just a kind brother that tagged along to keep watch of his sibling. 

“That’s nice of you. I bet she appreciates it.”

“Hm, yeah. I have no problem doing this for her, even if I’m not interested.”   


Shiro paused his hands where they were definitely not ripping apart his now empty paper cup. “You’re not?”

Keith smirked, raising his eyebrow as he crossed his arms. “Surprised?”

Shiro ducked his head as he blushed. He couldn’t deny the man beside him was gorgeous and that smirk was causing his brain to malfunction. He tried to clear his throat, act as natural as possible to not give away his interest. “Uh, Yeah. I just assumed most people were interested in finding their soulmate.”

He chuckled. “Well, I am. Just not like this. It’s kind of dumb but I would rather just meet them naturally. I’m not in a rush.” 

Shiro looked up from the table, “I feel the same way. Just… feels like it means more that way. I guess.” 

He could see him smile in the corner of his eye. “Yeah, I get it.”

A comfortable silence fell over them as they looked out in the crowd of mingling twenty-somethings, all smiling and laughing. Having a good time. The man looked back. “Keith.”

Shiro looked up confused. “I-I mean, my name’s Keith.” He explained, “I never introduced myself.” 

He laughed and held out his hand. “Takashi, but my friends call me Shiro. Nickname off of my last name.”

Keith shook his hand, “Nice to meet you, Shiro.” 

“Same.” 

Keith stood up at a signal his sister gave him and gently waved goodbye. Shiro couldn’t help but feel sad at his departure but respected his selflessness to take care of his sibling. He would never say that he wasn’t a people person, but it usually took a lot of energy out of him to keep up conversations with people he didn’t know. This time he was disappointed the conversation had to end before they got to talk about anything really meaningful.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the seat next to him being pulled out and Keith’s butt plopping down in it. He had a huge smile on his face and was slightly out of breath.

“So, this might be weird, but my sister is heading home and I was wondering if you’d be interested in getting a milkshake. There’s a really good diner across the street.” Keith paused, his fingers tangling in the holes of his sweater while he bit his lip. “Unless your friends are ready to leave. Or uh. I know we just met but… sorry if this is weird.”

Shiro felt his jaw open in shock. After taking a beat to gather his thoughts he looked out to see his friends fully immersed in conversations still, no sign of them letting up. Decision made.

“Yeah. Milkshakes sound nice.”

His heart almost stopped at the blinding smile Keith gave him. Without further ado, he held out his hand to lead Shiro out of the VFW and across the street, to the small diner nestled between a motorcycle repair shop and a dog groomer. Keith kept his fingers locked with Shiro's, and he found himself thankful that his sweat glands finally stopped overexerting themselves once he met Keith and got more comfortable.

The waitress led them to a booth in the back and while they waited for their milkshakes, he got to learn more about Keith. He just finished his mechanic program at a technical school in the area. He loves working on cars and motorcycles. His sister, Romelle, is actually his cousin that his parents adopted when she was orphaned and that they’d been inseparable their entire lives and his malamute named Kosmo thinks he’s a lap dog. 

In return he shared more than he was usually comfortable, sometimes even with his best friends. He told Keith about what he was studying in school and his favorite color, but he also talked about how he lost his parents when he was young, how Matt’s family took him in because his grandfather was too sick to care for him. He laughed as he explained how absolutely terrible a cook he was but continued to try because he inherited a large book of his mom’s and grandmother’s recipes and he desperately wanted to try and make them proud. 

Shiro ate up every tidbit of information Keith was giving him and blushed at how genuinely interested Keith was in return. He was so enraptured by this incredible man he met by chance not even two hours ago and felt an excited, nervous energy rushing through him over the connection he felt between them. He felt drawn to Keith in a way he’d never experienced. And he… 

He liked it.

Their milkshakes arrived and while they sipped, Shiro couldn’t stop smiling at the way Keith was enjoying his. It was almost comical the way he furiously sucked the straw to get every last straw of blended-ice cream-goodness.

“What flavor did you get again?”

“Peanut butter and jelly.”

Shiro made a face. “That sounds so weird.”

“Pfffff, that’s because you’ve never tried it. Here,” he slid it over, “have a sip.”

Not one to dismiss the chance to have something sweet, he took a sip and was, in fact, very surprised at how tasty the milkshake was. 

He could feel them both leaning closer to each other as they talked over the course of the next hour, neither of them grew tired of hearing more about the other. Shiro was sure they would’ve stayed until closing if it wasn’t for his phone ringing. 

Keith smiled and nodded for him to take it. “Hey Allura, how’s the meetup going?”

“ _ How’s the meetu-  _ Excuse me, mister! We’ve been looking for you for an hour. Where did you go?”   


Shiro winced as he pulled the phone away from his ear in hopes of saving his poor, fragile ear drum. “Oh shit, sorry. I went across the street to the diner with someone I met there. I definitely meant to text you.”

“YOU MET SOMEONE?!”

Shiro could see Keith trying to hold in a giggle, obviously hearing Allura’s outburst on the phone. He gently cleared his throat before diverting the conversation elsewhere. “You both about ready to head out? I’ll come back over now… Yep. Okay, bye Allura!” Allura and Matt were screaming to him from the other end of the line as he hung up. 

He could feel himself blush. “Sorry, they’re a lot.” He bit his lip while swirling the remnants of his milkshake with his straw. “This was really nice. I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

Keith looked down and started fidgeting with his hands. “Me too. And I- I’d really love to see you again.”

Shiro smiled and could feel his face getting warm. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”

They paid, exchanged numbers, and as they were about to part ways Keith grabbed his hand again. “Talk to you soon?”

“Don’t be surprised if I text you a cat picture tomorrow morning.”

Keith giggled as he stepped back and started his walk home. Shiro blushed the entire car ride back to their apartment and tried to dodge as many of his friend's questions as possible.

That night he forgot to take his medications before he went to bed. Normally, that’d mean he’d have a shit day the next day with all types of aches and pains more pronounced than usual, but when he woke up he felt more rested than he had in years. 

*

“So how many dates have you been on so far?” Matt asked from where he was draped over the bean bag chair in the corner of their small living room.

“I don’t entirely know if they’re dates, we haven’t necessarily defined anything yet.”

“So you haven’t kissed?” Allura asked while ‘reading’ her textbook for class. 

Shiro sighed into his homework. “No and that’s okay, we’re in no rush.”

Both of his friends looked up at once to give him a pointed face. He looked down, reminding himself that he was in fact in a rush but was refusing to do anything about it. 

He picked up his books and retreated into his room for the night. While planning to continue studying for his exam next week, he ended up lying in bed thinking about the amazing time he’d been having with Keith lately. 

The weekend after the meetup they met halfway and Keith beat his ass at minigolf. The course was indoors, dark, and had everything lit up by black lights so the skull graphic on Keith’s shirt was shining the entire time they were in there. Since he won, he insisted on paying for their pizza afterwards. Like most of their hangouts, they talked for hours, practically getting kicked out when the shop closed.

From then on, they texted almost everyday, Facetimed a bit, and tried to meet each other somewhere on the weekends. Sometimes Keith drove all the way to him, sometimes Shiro would visit Keith, a couple of times they met halfway to try something neither had before - like a pottery class where Shiro made the world’s ugliest dish that Keith saved as his phone wallpaper because he was so proud. It was the most fun he’d had in so long and he never wanted it to stop. 

He could feel their relationship growing from the hopeful seed that was planted in that diner to something strong and beautiful. Shiro felt happy and carefree whenever he was around Keith. He never thought about all of the things that kept him up at night with anxiety, though he trusted Keith enough to tell him about them. Keith even introduced him to his parents (and Kosmo) when Shiro went to pick him up when it was raining one weekend. They were so warm and welcoming, it was obvious where Keith got it from.

Keith treated him like he was something precious and in his heart he knew he’d never felt like this before, with anyone, and he desperately wanted to somehow tell Keith that. At this point he didn’t even care if Keith was his soulmate or not because he never had anything ever feel so right before. So many people had described finding ‘the one’ as Earth-shattering, heart racing,  _ magic _ . 

But to Shiro… it was soft, warm, and comfortable. He’s happy. He feels safe. He feels loved.

*

The next morning Shiro woke up for his monthly doctor appointment. He knew the drill - wake up, no food, no water, go straight to get his blood drawn, normal miscellaneous tests, talk to his doctor. Everything went as normal as it could, including the thirty minute wait before she arrived. 

He put his phone away as she walked in and smiled politely as he said ‘hello’ and asked how she’d been but was stopped abruptly by the look on her face. He couldn’t tell if she was excited or angry but she walked in, quickly shut the door, and practically screamed. 

“SHIRO, YOU FOUND THEM! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!”

He practically jumped and could feel his pulse quicken. “What do you mean?”

She pulled out his charts and flipped through pages and pages of notes lightening fast to his most recent blood tests. “Look at your counts! They’re going up. Do you know what that means?”   


Shiro’s mouth dropped open, speechless (almost) as he stared at the plateaued chart that now had one drastic outlier at the end. “... They never go up.”

“You’re. Getting. BETTER!”

He could hear his doctor rambling on about how excited she was for him and that she wants to hear all about them… but he couldn’t respond. He was shaking, palms were sweating again, didn’t even realize she’d stopped and was standing right in front of him holding his hand.

“Shiro, honey, you’re okay. Take a deep breath for me. That’s it... I’m so sorry sweetheart, I thought you knew.”

She put a cup of water in his hand without him even realizing it. “Here you go, take some small sips for me.”

After about ten minutes of her quietly doting on him, he finally was able to respond. “I did meet someone but we… we never really talked about it. I didn’t think… I guess I haven’t been needing my meds as much this month but... Are you sure?” 

The look she gave him was soft but also screamed ‘ _ you adorable idiot _ ’. “I’m sure. Not to reiterate what you already know, but there was no way you were ever going to get better, Shiro. Not without your soulmate.” 

She handed over his chart again so he could get a better look. For so long he’d been resigned to living out the rest of his short life in the hopes of maybe one day stumbling upon his soulmate. It’s one thing to hope, and an entire other thing to see the proof for himself. 

Shiro smiled, pure joy running through his system, and pulled out his phone to see he had three missed texts from Keith. She patted his shoulder. “I think tonight is a good night for a date, don’t you think?”

*

He called Keith to make dinner plans the minute he got back to his car. It was a Wednesday - not their normal date night - but Keith must’ve heard the urgency in his voice and agreed immediately. 

Shiro asked Keith to meet him at a park halfway between their towns. He picked up a couple of sandwiches, some soda, and Keith’s favorite candy (lemon drops) before driving to the southern entrance. 

The past 2 hours felt like he was on autopilot. He barely remembered leaving the hospital. Had no recollection of how he got to the deli. Was concerned about how he drove all this way with his thoughts as chaotic as they were.

Keith was… Keith was his soulmate. There was no other explanation. He thought back to the first night they met, how they hit it off so well that he never wanted to leave. He should’ve known then. He felt it, but he denied it. 

He also remembered their last conversation that night, how Keith texted him so nervously asking him if they could refrain from bringing up soulmates. He agreed because it was what he wanted too, and was worried that he might ruin what they had if he finally brought it up now.

He saw Keith pull up on his motorcycle alongside his car. He looked ethereal as the wind swept his hair over his shoulders while he took his helmet off. The sunlight causing his eyes to sparkle a gorgeous shade of purple. 

God, he prayed to whoever existed that this would go well. 

He unclenched his shaking hands from the steering wheel and grabbed their bag of food before getting out of the car to greet Keith. Keith looked a little concerned when they hugged, most likely still thinking about how panicked Shiro must’ve sounded on the phone. 

Shiro smiled, holding up the food and drinks. “Want to go find a bench?”

Keith studied him for a moment before reaching out to take his hand, threading his fingers through his. They’d done this only a handful of times before, once only because Shiro was so afraid of the movie they were watching. Keith knew it comforted him and he appreciated the gesture. 

They weren’t too far into their sandwiches when he saw Keith put his down out of the corner of his eye and turn to face Shiro. Shiro bit his lip before turning to do the same. 

Keith looked more concerned than in the parking lot now that Shiro’s attempt to ‘play it cool’ was now confirmed to definitely not be working. “Somethings up. Are you okay?”

Shiro started to pick at his nail bed, trying to avoid unnecessary eye contact. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

_ Okay. No time to chicken out, Shiro. This is it. _

“Yeah actually. I’m really okay. I- I went to my monthly check up today. Got the blood work done and everything.” He uncomfortably moved in his seat. Keith saw this and reached out to take his hand again.

Shiro looked up, “I’m getting better.”

Keith’s face immediately brightened up, “Shiro, that’s amazing! Why were you so nervous to tell me that? That’s great news.”

He bit his lip, gnawing at the skin nervously while trying to appreciate the pure happiness Keith was radiating. “You don’t understand, I was never supposed to get better.”

Keith’s face scrunched up in confusion, “But you are? So how could… oh.” Keith gently took his hand back and put some distance between him and Shiro. Shiro could see the pain on his face, fully realizing what Shiro meant. “That's… that’s wonderful Shiro. I’m hap-happy for you. Really.” 

God, he was right. He shouldn’t have said anything.

“I know you said you didn’t want to talk about soulmates but I wanted you to know. I thought you had a right to know.”

The half-hearted smile Keith gave him almost crushed him. Keith picked up his drink and played with the cap, “So… what’s his name?”

“What?”

He sighed, “His name Shiro, what’s your soulmate’s name?”

Shiro was more than confused. What did Keith mean? His name…? _ His- /OH./ _

He shook his head.

“Keith.”

Keith looked at him almost disappointed this time, “It’s fine. I’m your friend. I want to know.”

Shiro smiled, trying very hard not to laugh. “No, no. His name is Keith.”

He watched as the gears began to turn in Keith’s head, he slowly shifted towards him again as Keith’s expression went from confused, to frustrated, to shocked. Shiro smiled as he watched Keith mouth the word  _ me? _ to him.

He nodded. Shiro reached out to take his hands. “Since the day I met you you’ve been changing my life in more ways than one.”

“I’m your… oh my god, you’re my  _ soulmate _ .” A light, joyful laugh filled the air as the realization of what he had just figured out finally set in. “Soulmate.”

“Is that okay?”

Keith practically pounced on him as he enveloped Shiro in a hug. “Fuck, that’s- that’s more than okay Shiro.”

Shiro pulled back, raising his hand to cup Keith’s face and smooth his thumb over his soft cheek. “Does this mean you’d want to be my boyfriend?”

Keith laughed. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. The pure joy of making his mate laugh, feel that intense of happiness was all Shiro had ever wanted. The new ability to live a long and happy life with him was an extra perk.

“Please just kiss me already.”

Shiro could feel his lip quiver and his eyes start to burn as he held his soulmate’s face in his hands. 

“Shiro?” Keith cupped his hands around his. “Are you okay?”

Shiro nodded as he tried to hold himself together. 

“Keith… you saved me.”

Keith leaned in, his lips barely caressing Shiro’s. 

“No. We saved each other.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :) Soulmate AUs are my favorite to read and write, especially when it comes to these two guys so I jumped on the opportunity to not only write another soulmate fic but do it as a zine contribution (my first ever!). 
> 
> If you need anything tagged please let me know, no questions asked!
> 
> Commenting is hard sometimes, feel free to emoji or key smash if that's what feels right in your soul in the comments below
> 
> Come say hi!  
> Twitter: @AlNiCa_


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